Prepositions of time: in, on, at and more

What you'll learn

Use at, on and in before common time expressions.

The main pattern

At: clock times and small time points

• at six o'clock
• at noon
• at night
• at the weekend (common in British English)

On: days and dates

• on Monday
• on Friday morning
• on 12 May
• on my birthday

In: months, years, seasons and longer periods

• in June
• in 2026
• in summer
• in the morning
• in the afternoon

Start with these examples

• The lesson starts at nine.
• We meet on Friday.
• My birthday is in May.
• I work in the morning.
• They travel in August.

No preposition with some time words

Do not normally use at/on/in before:

• today

• tomorrow

• yesterday

• every day

• last week

• next month

• I work tomorrow.

• We meet next Friday.

Other useful time phrases

• from nine to five
• before dinner
• after school
• until six o'clock

Common mistakes

• in Monday → on Monday
• on 7 o'clock → at 7 o'clock
• in the Monday → on Monday
• at tomorrow → tomorrow

Quick check

• ___ Friday → on
• ___ 8:30 → at
• ___ December → in
• ___ the evening → in

Next step

Use and, but, or, because and so to connect simple ideas.